The indefinite postponement of the presidential election in Senegal: An unexpected decision that raises questions
In a national address, President Macky Sall of Senegal announced the indefinite postponement of the presidential election initially scheduled for February 25.
This decision comes a few hours before the start of the electoral campaign and follows the establishment of a parliamentary commission responsible for investigating the integrity of two judges of the Constitutional Council.
President Sall revealed that he had revoked his initial decree setting the election for February 25, following concerns raised about the integrity of the electoral process. This unprecedented measure in Senegal marks the first postponement of a presidential election by direct universal suffrage since 1963.
In his speech, President Sall expressed his commitment to engaging in an open national dialogue in order to guarantee the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election, without however specifying a new date.
Initially elected in 2012 for a seven-year term, then re-elected in 2019 for five years, President Sall had previously announced that he would not seek another term, designating Prime Minister Amadou Ba as his successor.
The Constitutional Council had excluded several candidates from the election, including opposition figures Ousmane Sonko and Karim Wade, sparking controversy.
The political landscape in Senegal is now in flux, with the postponement raising questions about the country’s electoral process and the challenges faced by disqualified opposition candidates. The next few days will be decisive in determining the course of events and the political future of Senegal.